NHL Rumors – January 23, 2013

The leatest trade rumors from January 23, 2013 include Roberto Luongo, Ben Bishop and the belief that it may just be the Stars, Avalanche or the Habs who are kicking the tires on Luongo.

Spector on NHL: Would Luongo fit with Oilers?

Is Dubnyk the guy? Well, he looked like it was possible when he beat Vancouver 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday. Not so much on Tuesday.

But he’s 6-foot-5, and has been more the Vancouver Dubnyk than the San Jose Dubnyk over the past two seasons. If you drafted him in 2004 and spent all this time developing him, as the Oilers have, wouldn’t you want to see how the book turns out?

Does Edmonton not have time to follow through on the kid? They’re not winning any Cups this year or next.

Or do they abandon the Dubnyk project, send Gagner off to Vancouver, eat the contract and rightfully say they’ve sped up the timeline in Edmonton?

There’s an old saying among GMs that goes, “Never fall in love with a player.”

Edmonton shouldn’t fall in love with Dubnyk, but we think they should give him the season. In this case however, it doesn’t matter.

Carey Price says we can rule out that middle team. Considering the ‘Lanche traded a No. 1 pick for Semyon Varlamov, perhaps you rule them out? (Although Luongo would be an upgrade.) Luongo to Dallas? Yeah, not so much with Kari Lehtonen signed through 2018 and Jack Campbell on the way. (Although their owner does have a Vancouver connection … cueominous music.)

The idea that Vancouver would trade Luongo to the Western Conference is hard to swallow. So perhaps Gillis is referring to an Eastern Conference team that has kicked the tires on Luongo, and that might like to upgrade their goalie position from “crazy person who implodes in the playoffs” to “simply implodes in the playoffs.”

“Excess salary coming back with a [throw-in] player who can’t play in our lineup. They say, ‘OK, we’ll do this, but you’ve got to take this.’ Well, we’re not taking it. We’ve had lots of proposals like that with good pieces that can help us but the other part doesn’t help us, and oftentimes they have term attached to them, so we’d just be turning around and buying out a guy.

“I’d rather keep the guy we know, who’s a good person.”

We’re coming around to that idea, too.

Granted, it may not be the most proactive move when it comes to Cory Schneider’s future or his sanity. Granted, you might be hanging on to Brett Favre and squeezing out Aaron Rodgers (comparison stolen from Keith Jones).

But Luongo and Schneider give you a better chance at the Cup than Schneider and Lack, no?

Should the Oilers trade for another goalie? “The answer is obviously yes,” says TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Dreger and McKenzie speculate that the Oilers might well have interest in Ottawa’s Ben Bishop

The NHL’s leading trade rumourists, Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie of TSN, agreed that the Oilers need another goalie, this coming after Oilers starter Devan Dubnyk had let in six goals in the first period against the San Jose Sharks.

“That’s the question moving forward, because of all the uncertainty in the future of the Edmonton Oilers, what do you do in goal,” Dreger said. “Not going to lump the Roberto Luongo talk into the Edmonton Oilers, but we do know that Ottawa’s Ben Bishiop is backing up now Craig Anderson, with Robin Lehner back in the American Hockey League. That’s a part time assignment for Robin Lehner because everyone in hockey knows that Ben Bishop is available. (Ottawa GM) Bryan Murray wants better than the second round draft pick that he gave up to get him. Is Bishop an upgrade in what you have in Devan Dubnyk? Not if the Oilers play defensively like the way they’re playing tonight.”

McKenzie then chimed in. “But you’ve got Khabibulin at his age, and his health concerns, and you’ve got Yann Danis, who for the most part has been a minor leaguer. Do you need a better second option than Devan Dubnyk and some more internal competition?”

“Yes,” said Dreger.

“And the answer is obviously yes,” McKenzie said. “Now is Ben Bishop that guy? And would Edmonton be prepared to meet the price?”